If you've got the money, and you're sure you want to stick with guitar in the long run, get it. If you're not sure you want to continue playing for a long time, don't risk spending yo money on it, since you may end up quitting and being out $1000.

But if you do get it, remember that there will be people who talk down on you because you're young and have nice gear. They'll call you a brat, spoiled kid, etc., but if you're ok with that, then get it.

Ok I'm kidding. I think it's a bit of a silly question here is why. I've been driving for some 15 years yet i would not ask if i'm good enough driver to buy a BMW. It does not really matter cuz' i can't afford it.

But if you can afford a Gibson and you would find joy in playing it then yes you are good enough to buy one. Any one else who says different is just jealous.

ye, i find it rediculus, im soo not good enough for a 1978 jmp i do know 2 things
1)i want it and have the money (barley) to buy it
2)ill be playing for the rest of my life, thts all tht matters, its bs that you should get better equip as you get better, youd just be w8sting money, think: you get like 4 **ty guitars for like 400 a piece then an sg, or just get 1 **ty one for 400 and an sg which one did you spend more money...exactly.

it's not a question of if your good enough,it's more of a will you
continue to play it after you buy it really. if you can't see yourself
playing it 2,3 or 5 years down the road don't buy it. i make my full
retail purchases with the intention of a life long partnership.
anything less i buy used,or if new,the imported version.

I see myself in a nursing home on the front porch playing blues yet i still buy used and play the imported "versions".

I think you just need to justify it in your head. Guitars will last a long time and if you take care if it may out last you. Even if you don't play in 2, 3, or 6 years down the road you should be able to sell it for $500-600.

that you love to play guitar and you will play for the rest of your life, there is no point in buying cheap guitars then buy an expensive one when you can just buy that one now. truthfully, its the amp that makes the diff, for me, when i gig, im getting my jmp '78. all i need, its 1700, i dought ill get another amp for a long, long, long time or ill hae the money for a long long long time. i may get a flying v due to the fact strings break, and some songs i just need the access to the high frets which i dont have on my epi, but i wont get it now, whatever it is... if in your gut, you say you will use it...go with it. dont think of it as i may play, i may not, but i wana show my friends my gibson. i live in a stuck up rich town. i go to school with my epi, they say OMG you have a les paul, i laugh and say, you know what that is? they say, yeah, its a lot of money, i laugh and say mine is an epiphone, they say so? gibson's are the expensive ones. they say how much urs cost? i say like 300. they say hah cheap jew! makes me mad. friggin rich stuck up ass holes. cant wait till im a senior and have acceptance to a college so i can beat their brains out and never see them again.

Go for convinceing her, mine's a nice sized Baldwin concert from Gibson and before that I had a little cheap 'Herald' accoustic when I was 10 that seemed to become so DRAMATICALLY 'paralized' (as I named it as I was so supset) as soon as the 6 month garentee died out. I can safely say I've had my Faithful Gibson for about 5 or 4 months now and it's served me well, in that time still being a beginner I've improved greatly since I got a professinal guitar. Beginner guitars are good for nothing, remember that, just have a beginner as soon as you know you'll stick with the hobby (which you have) but for real improvment get the real deal. You're ready! Tell her it's the way to go, me and all the guitarists I've met in person all agree on that.

P.S if that don't work, tell her my Herald (later named Gerry/Gerald as I loved him so much...and I was so alone, ha!) I was devastated when his string's were even more terrrible than they were when he was new, but he still was in death, I got him as a hand-me-down from my brother...who was HIS christmas present and soon rejected by my brother, I grew to love Gerald as my child and he died on me. But he was originally a CHEAP, BEGINNER CHRISTMAS PRESENT! That's the worst part of it! Tell you're mother NOT to make the same mistake as I did! Get a real guitar if you want to stay happy! (I'm shouting '!' a lot because I'm real desperate for that not to happen to anyone else ever again!)

To some extent its nice to have nice things, but after playing it for a few minutes, youre going to realise that just because its an awesome guitar, doesn't mean you're an awesome player!

If a rock god came round your house, picked up your Les Paul and shredded out some amazing ***, you'd look at your guitar in a whole different way.

I've seen people with a load of guitars in their house, and they can't play just one of them for ***- it's so sad!

I have an epiphone les paul btw and i f**kin love that thing to death!

If I were you, I would buy a cool pedal like the GNX4000 which is great for just about everything fx/recording. That way you're not starting again with a new guitar, your building up on what you already own.

Besides, all these people are advising you to invest in a nice guitar- invest in yourself and just have fun and practice- its not as though you're recording your new album after christmas...

i kinda agree. i have an epi les paul the ONLY reason to get another is b/c

1)sometimes i need the 24th fret which is hard to get standing up, beats me to hell how randy rhoads got it...
2)if one guitar's strings break or is in for a setup i need another guitar incase im gigging.
3)i lose the guitar/it gets damaged/something goes wrong or breaks in it, always nice to have a backup, but for me right now, i love my lp, when i get the money i may look for a flying v, but just for those reasons. ill buy the guitar that sounds the best, not the one with the nicest name on it. thats where i come from, my rich ass town, its not about the quality, its the NAME!!!! anyone heard of "juicy" cloths, my sis has tons, pants 100 bucks top 100 bucks, its just the **tiest cotten outfit ud ever seen. made for like 5 bucks in china then chipped here then put a name on it. 200 bucks for a solid colored outfit made in china. freaking rich snobs.